Update from Denny

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Howard Sprague

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Howard Sprague »

Hello Boatnerds,

A quick update for you from your good friend Howard. We have made 34 trips to the river so far in 2021 as we learn our new radio controlled heliocopter with a camera that Mother bought us. Next week Mother is flying up from Florida for the first time since the virus pandemic began. We are looking forward to seeing Mother and sitting by the river together with our cigars again.
Denny

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Denny »

To Darryl, indeed the Seaway Queen was indeed a very nice looking ship with fines lines in her. It’s just a shame that she and many others like her are no longer here with us. There’s a picture of her that’s one of my favorites and it’s the cover of the 1999 KYS book. That is an amazing photo of her. She was built if I remember in 1959 at Port Weller the same year the Seaway officially was opened and dedicated by then both Queen Elizabeth and Dwight Eisenhower. For a time, I think she was also the flagship too for Upper Lakes Shipping. I think she may have also had a near sister to her the Frank A. Sherman to which I never got to see?
Denny

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Thanks both Howard and Guest and glad that you and everyone else that read that story enjoys reading it as much as I too enjoy telling it to everyone. As far as resuming my stories someday, I'll have to think about it as perhaps maybe during the Winter to help everyone get through the Winter Blues. At least then it will help to pass the time and maybe speed up the Winter Lay-Up time as well.
Denny

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Hello Howard and Guest and glad to see and hear that both of you enjoyed and liked my story. I enjoy telling that story to people each and every year when that time comes up and will continue to make it a regular feature here on boatnerd as far as my stories go every year that it rolls around and comes here. To add to that story as well, I think that I had a "Double Whammy" if you will that year as besides my ride on the Seaway Queen, I think I also got to see the Tarantau that same year and time being towed for scrap up in the Welland Canal. For two years both in 1998 and 1999 I made the trip to the Welland with my Dad and incredibly both years the ship traffic was heavy due to the Fall Grain Rush of course. Even more the weather was sensational as we had a very late Indian Summer type of weather pattern and setup then which made those trips even more special besides being there with my Dad and a few close friends as well. I will maybe try to look into some updates and stories this coming Winter when I have more time to do so. Please be patient. Once the season is over with at that point in January, I'll look then into sending in some updates.
Darryl

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Darryl »

Great story. The Seaway Queen was quite a nice ship. I think she had a big 9000 shp turbine.
Denny

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Denny »

If I do decide to resume everyone, it won’t be until Winter though at the best when the Soo Locks, Welland and Seaway shuts down for the year as that’s the only chance I’ll have at that point. No way I can do any of that stuff now while the ships are mostly out running at full force right now. Just too busy trying to track and keep up with them and through the Marine Traffic website. I’m up late at night and sometimes early in the mornings spending more than 3 hours plus on it. While I love and enjoy the hobby and photographing the ships, I hate Marine Traffic for the only reason they just don’t keep the information more than 24 hours now days. Sorry to ramble on. Glad to see and hear everyone enjoys that story as much as I enjoy telling it. It will be repeated every year!
Howard Sprague

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Howard Sprague »

I love that story more every time I read it, Denny. I do hope you'll resume your updates for us someday.
Guest

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Guest »

Awesome story Denny Thanks for sharing
Denny

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Ok everyone don't get overly excited seeing and reading this post but I have a long story to share with all of you. For it was on this day back in 1999 that I got the thrill and experience of a lifetime. While I was watching the Seaway Queen at Lock 1 I noticed them tying up. So, I went over to ask them what they were doing? They said there's another ship in Lock 1 we have to wait for which was the Algowood. Not long afterward, one of the Seaway Queen's crewman asked "Would you like to come aboard the ship?" I was in shock and frozen after hearing those words! The man repeated the question and I said "Let me go over and check with my Dad first." So, after checking and telling my Dad that they would let me go aboard ship his response was "What are you waiting for then and to get going already!" Before I knew it, I was climbing up the ladder and soon aboard the handsome and proud Seaway Queen. They had tied up just below Lock 1 waiting for the upbound Algowood to clear and get out of Lock 1 at the time. Once on board the Seaway Queen, I was taken up to the pilothouse to meet the captain himself. His first name was Jake and he mentioned at the time, that he was the youngest or one of the youngest captains in the Great Lakes then. So, Captain Jake told me that the plan was they would let me stay aboard and then we'd sail her into Lock 1 and then let me off once we got tied-up and secured. So, that's exactly what we did. Before I knew it, my adventure was quickly over with and soon I was getting off the Seaway Queen. As they departed Lock 1 they also gave me a thundering salute to which I greatly thanked them for and the opportunity of a lifetime to get aboard a classic working Great Lakes freighter. It is something I'll always remember and cherish and the best part was having my Dad there in person to see and also to witness it! He was so happy and proud for me and I'm so blessed and glad and happy he was there with me to see it. Fitting my last ship for the 1999 shipping season on the St. Clair River was Seaway Queen!
Whitey

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Whitey »

Denny,

The Mrs. and I met you and your father at the Soo in the early 2000s and I've followed your exploits since then. I hope that you'll reconsider this decision.
mopar tim
Posts: 151
Joined: December 6, 2014, 6:03 pm
Location: Port Huron

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by mopar tim »

Denny, take a step back for a while and relax. We will miss your posts and i'm sure you will be back I don't think you can stay away from it to long lol. Stay safe and just take life one day at a time things will get better i'm sure of it.
MarcE
Posts: 94
Joined: January 27, 2018, 8:47 pm

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by MarcE »

Denny, more than anything I would love to be at the river where I first fell in love with the freighters. Instead, I'm stuck in the desert wishing and hoping I can be there.
In the meantime I have your update here to bring back those joyous memories.
Now, I'm stuck in my room hiding from the plague with hardly an immune system left passing time reading everything here.
Please don't stop! You lift up my morale with every post.
Take care my friend and know you are appreciated here.
Marc
Bookworm

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Bookworm »

Denny, you keep us up-to-date with your Port Reports and that takes a lot of time to do. So, thanks and stay healthy. Dawn
garbear

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by garbear »

I hope you re-think your decision. You've been a friend for years. You always have the answer to any question I might have. You've got a real passion for what you do and that would be greatly missed by me and other "boatnerds." Please reconsider.
BigRiver
Posts: 1090
Joined: April 28, 2010, 6:37 pm

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by BigRiver »

What's wrong Denny?
Howard Sprague

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Howard Sprague »

Well that's a very disappointing thing to here, Denny. I and many others here were hoping that you would resume your stories here for us to help us get through this time of trouble. We find this particularly disappointing given that tomorrow is "Mariner Day" which you say is the day it all began for you at the river.

We made our 16th river run yesterday and 17th today and got some great traffic both days. Yesterday was a hard day for us as we are used to spending Easter at preaching and then having supper with our friend Andy at his house with a large gathering of our good friends. Sadly we couldn't do that this year what with this crazy virus going around.

We know we speak for many others when we say that we hope you will reconsider your decision to stop posting updates, Denny. In the meantime we hope to see you at the river again someday in the future.
Darryl

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Darryl »

Thanks, Denny, for your updates! Like you said on another thread, this could be a tough year for shipping on the Great Lakes. Maybe we'll all, yourself included, have more to post if things get better in the near term. Darryl
Denny

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Denny »

Hello to all boatnerds and friends. It is with deepest regret that I must inform and tell you that this will be my last and final report here on this post. I don't quite understand what's happened but I finally decided to give up posting updates and news from my trips to the St. Clair River. While I do not care to discuss my reasons at this time for no longer giving all of my dear and close friends any further news and updates, I can say with all honesty that I will miss many of you and publishing my stories for you all here as well. I was really looking forward to very soon giving you some new and updated news and stories this week and I will not hint as to what they were but only to say that they were good and I know what you would've liked and enjoy them. So at this time I would like to say and add that I'm thankful and grateful for so many friends that I have connected with through this post. Many of you were there when I need you most but now I feel the time has come to move on with things. So to find out about my river adventures, I guess now you will have to look and find me out on the river sometimes then. I do want to set my best and good wishes to all and many of you that have been friends with me through the years and to thank you for your kind and thoughtful words and comments. They are all and dear to me and appreciated. So good bye everyone!
Guest

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Guest »

Well Boatnerds just a quick update for you this evening; we've now made 15 trips to the river in 2020 and we're well on our way to our goal of 150 river runs. Today we were out to see the Muntgracht and Federal Biscay. We are staying safe and going out with our face mask when we do go so that we hopefully don't get germs. We are doing our best to avoid this crazy Coronavirus and we call Mother every day to make sure she is staying safe in Florida. I hope all of our friends here are staying safe.
Howard Sprague

Re: Update from Denny

Unread post by Howard Sprague »

Guest wrote:
Clyde S. VanEnkevort/Erie Trader was up on Lake Superior on Wednesday. Better check your days.
Yes you are right that would have been Monday. Sometimes the days run together.
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